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The Tomatometer is 60% or higher.

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The Court Jester Photos

Movie Info

Danny Kaye spoofs medieval swashbucklers in this classic musical comedy. While the infant King of England awaits his rightful place as leader of the British Empire, his rule is usurped by Roderick (Cecil Parker), an evil pretender to the throne. Brave rebel leader The Black Fox (Edward Ashley) intends to remove Roderick from the palace and bring the crown back to its true owner, but in the meantime the baby king needs to be looked after, which is the job of a man named Hawkins (Kaye). The Black Fox travels with the little king and his rebels as they search for the key to a secret tunnel that will allow them passage into the castle. Maid Jean (Glynis Johns), one of the rebels, meets a man en route to the Castle who is to be Roderick's new jester. The rebels quickly hatch a plan: detain the jester and send Hawkins in his place; the king can then find the key and initiate the overthrow. Hawkins is able to persuade Roderick and his men that he is indeed a jester, but his espionage work gets complicated when Princess Gwendolyn (Angela Lansbury) falls in love with him, and he runs afoul of Sir Ravenhurst (Basil Rathbone), the evil genius behind Roderick. Court Jester features Kaye's famous "Pellet with the Poison" routine. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Audience Reviews for The Court Jester

Danny Kaye's mistaken identity comedy set on the medieval British court is nothing less than one of the funniest films of all times. Sure, it starts out slowly and with a couple of old-fashioned yet catchy musical pieces. But once things are moving and the innocent bard starts playing the court jester's role, it's a joy to watch the mix-ups, puns and jokes that come with it. That's so cleverly written and charming that you can't help but smile for 90 minutes. It also helps that Danny Kaye is simply incredibly funny, with the sped-up knighting process and poisoned goblet sequence being the outrageous highlights. The old castle and ramparts sets from the classic knight adventures of that era are oozing with nostalgia. During the hilarious showdown things get particularly wacky and hilarious. You just have to love a film where dwarfs juggle grown men on their feet and the hero's fencing skills depend on a snap of the fingers. And you know you've just watched a feel good film when even the evil king sings along to the happy ending tune. A timeless masterpiece of comedy.

Jens S.

Super Reviewer

[Rewatch]
I film I loved as a child and this is my first viewing since and was full of Nostalgia for me. No doubt about it that Danny Kaye was a great showman and he was very entertaining throughout. Clever witty songs, along with some great comical scenes such as the Vessel with the Pestle. A feel good film.

Lady D'arbanville

Super Reviewer

½

Good old fashion fun. They jump the shark a little when the midget circus comes to the rescue, but the final sword fight is makes up for it.
and Angela Lansbury used to be HOT!